Tang Xiaowan walked carefully on the solid wood stairs, constantly pondering her grandmother’s words. As she passed the study, she suddenly heard sounds from the master bedroom next door.
How strange, it sounded like the noise of opening a window and someone landing from a jump!
Grandmother jumping out the window... sneaking out for fun?
No, someone had entered.
With this thought, Tang Xiaowan immediately held her breath and carefully pressed her ear against the solid wood door, trying to eavesdrop. The mystery only deepened by the moment.
Unfortunately, the door’s soundproofing was too good; she could barely hear Tang Mei’s voice, which seemed related to the trending topics list.
Tang Xiaowan started to feel suspicious.
Should I pretend I can’t sleep and burst in there to chat with Grandma?
No, that might not work; they could slip away.
Who could it be? It wasn’t that masked book thief again, was it? Had he returned, wanting to negotiate a blackmail with Grandma?
Hmph, it might well be that guy from Jiangbei; the shoe sizes are quite similar.
Tang Xiaowan’s suspicions were entirely based on the footprint photos from the nighttime attack at Mei Garden, which Li Zishen had sent her before the auction started.
Although she hadn’t seen the book thief’s face last night, she had already compared the images from her phone with the partial footprint left in the garden.
There was indeed one that was a similar size.
Pausing for a few seconds, Tang Xiaowan’s lips curled into a slight smirk, and she tiptoed away.
Meanwhile, inside Tang Mei’s bedroom.
A girl lay bare-backed on a couch, with Tang Mei sitting beside her, holding a silver needle with a very serious expression.
"Madam, I will check into the online issue; you needn’t worry."
"Don’t bother, someone will handle it."
"Oh, okay. So after the holidays, will the young lady go to Jin City... or return to Mei Garden?" Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs n0velfire.net
"As for Tangtang, who knows? Let nature take its course; she might even end up in Chicheng," Tang Mei sighed softly in response.
"Madam, when can I..."
"Don’t move; I’m about to insert the needles."
Tang Mei’s gaze fixed firmly on the expanse of white back, her mind swirling with thoughts.
This was already the third attempt.
"Don’t be nervous, just keep your breathing steady." Then, Tang Mei pressed her fingers lightly twice, expertly inserting the silver needles into the girl’s back and head, each insertion precise.
Immediately, the girl’s fists began to tremble slightly, but this was just the beginning; greater pain awaited her endurance.
"If it hurts, just scream."
"It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt at all," the girl replied with furrowed brows.
Although Tang Mei couldn’t see the girl’s facial expression, she knew the first three minutes after acupuncture were the hardest, especially since the girl had been injured before.
"Ah, I really am sorry."
"Madam, please don’t say that. As long as the young lady is safe and sound, I don’t mind doing whatever it takes."
Tang Mei nodded, "Here we go."
The girl bit her lip, "Okay."
Tang Mei’s gaze grew deeper as she checked the time on the clock, then began gently rotating the silver needles, starting from the one nearest her lower back, moving upwards in sequence, finishing at the head.
Throughout the process of rotating the needles, Tang Mei’s fingers alternately clenched and released, each movement skilled and fluid.
Such acupuncture technique required extensive experience and was the result of many years of dedicated study.
Seconds ticked by; the atmosphere in the bedroom grew increasingly tense.
No matter how painful it got midway, the girl never made a sound, just sweat beads slowly emerged on her forehead.
She knew, when the pain significantly intensified, it meant success was not far off.
Five minutes later, on the rooftop.
Tang Xiaowan hid in a corner, a very concealed spot that ordinary people would never notice.
She occasionally stood up, listening intently to the noises from the window, and then sat down again, frowning in thought.
She couldn’t hear the conversation in the bedroom, which piqued her curiosity even more and strengthened her belief that her grandmother was indeed hiding something.
"Humph, I really want to see who it is."
But... why haven’t they come out yet? It’s been 20 minutes. What are they talking about?"
Something’s not right, should I go downstairs and check?
The more Tang Xiaowan thought about it, the more uneasy she felt, worried that her grandmother might be in danger, even though she knew her grandmother had some skills.
If something unexpected happened, there would definitely be a commotion, and she would hear it.
But what if the opponent was a top-notch expert, who could win with a single move, leaving no chance to react?
"Grandma! No, I have to go down."
Thus, Tang Xiaowan hurriedly climbed down from the rooftop and tiptoed back to the third floor through the window.
This floor was still eerily quiet.
Just as she was about to push open her grandmother’s bedroom door to see what was going on, she was met with a pair of deep eyes.
"Why are you up so late, something up?"
In the faint light streaming in from the window, Tang Xiaowan turned her head and saw nothing amiss inside.
But there clearly had been someone just now.
They must have heard my footsteps and hid, afraid of being seen.
"Grandma, you... haven’t gone to sleep yet?"
"Go back to bed now, it’s late. Why are you wandering around? Don’t you have to get up early tomorrow?"
Tang Xiaowan looked at her grandmother, her doubts deepening. She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to hold back and not barge in.
"Oh, okay. Goodnight, Grandma."
After returning to the second floor, Tang Xiaowan lay in bed, still unable to calm her mind.
She pondered over the night’s events, feeling utterly confused and helpless, considering whether she should discuss it with Leng Lingxiao, since besides her grandmother, he was the most trustworthy person.
Just then, she suddenly heard faint footsteps from upstairs.
Tang Xiaowan immediately sat up alertly.
She gently parted the curtains and, with tightly furrowed brows, peered through a small gap towards the outside.
Soon, a person dressed in black camouflage, wearing a mask, appeared. They slid down the wall into the small garden, moving very swiftly.
Tang Xiaowan gripped her fists, her heart racing.
Huh, why is it a woman?
Please, please, let there be footprints. It would be best if they fully stepped onto the ground.
I hope it’s not another halfway mark!
Then, a black sedan slowly pulled over to the curb, and a burly man wearing large-framed sunglasses got out.
The two stood close, talking and gesturing, then quickly went to the trunk together.
Strange, this isn’t Jiangbei!
Why would grandma have dealings with these people? Could it be that secret organization?
But grandma said everything was resolved!
The more Tang Xiaowan watched, the more puzzled she became. She didn’t know who these two were or what they would do next, but she was determined to find out the truth.
So, she quickly grabbed her phone from the sofa and snapped several clear pictures.
"Humph, there we go, quite clear!"